Hold Fast; Stay True! Artwork of Distinction Announced

Barrington, Bristol and Riverside Artists Among Those Recognized

BRISTOL, Rhode Island - The juror of, Hold Fast; Stay True!, an exhibit hosted in the Community Gallery of the Rogers Free Library and sponsored by the Bristol Art Museum today announced those artists whose work was recognized with distinction. The exhibit was launched in collaboration with the spring 2024 Bristol Bookfest. The exhibit, on view from Thurs., Mar. 28, to Wed., May 1, showcases a collection of visual art inspired by the timeless literary narrative Moby Dick.

Art historian and the Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator and the Director of Museum Learning at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Naomi Slipp served as juror for the exhibit. 
“As a juror for this exhibition, I was excited to explore works of art inspired by or in conversation with this epic novel and its themes – as there are a million different ways it could be interpreted,” said Slipp. “Each artist thoughtfully responded with work that illustrates the multiplicities of Melville.”

Best abstract interpretation is awarded to Pamela Seymour Smith Sharp of Bristol, for Magnanimity of the Sea, which evocatively expresses the mysterious depths of the open ocean, opacity of human emotions, and confusion of a whale harboring in the deep. “The white streaks, scratches, and blooms remind me of phantom marks, harpoon strike pathways, the squared jaw of a white sperm whale, and the ghostly animal fleeing into the dark water,” said Slipp.

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Most humorous work goes to Marc Jaffe, of Barrington, for Whale of a Spud, a simple charming piece that evokes joy in an unexpected place, indeed the littlest, most humble thing – the potato. “In this case, the spud naturally grew into what truly does resemble a chunky little whale with eye (ha!), smile, and tail. I had to smile!,” said Slipp.

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Best adherence to Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is awarded to Bonnie Jaffe, of Barrington for Whale Watch, a color photograph that lands the viewer inside the cavernous skull of an enormous sperm whale. “Disoriented at first, it takes a minute to gain your bearings and interpret the image,” said Slipp. “The porosity and cavities of bone, the forced perspective, and the contrast between shadow and highlight, eventually cohere into the upper jaw of a sperm whale and emphasize the creature’s size and power. As bone, it also points to themes in Moby-Dick about mortality – human and animal – and the central plot device, Ahab’s obsession to kill Moby-Dick.”

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Most whimsical interpretation is given to John Dykes, of Boston, Massachusetts, for WASNZ!, a visually arresting colorful work whose subject carries a sense of child-like innocence and flirts with danger. “Two small children have ignored a safety barrier, marked by a frustratingly indecipherable warning, and wandered out onto a narrow precipice in the sea,” said Slipp. “One flicks a fishing rod, the other swings a net into the air; both dance, totally care free. Above them leaps an enormous arcing sperm whale, water slicking from its body, its mouth an open toothy maw. Is it playing too, or does a more nefarious intent glint in its one visible eye?”

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Most whale-centric is awarded to Jennifer Wright, of Riverside, for Alaska Wildlife 4, a watercolor that evokes the elusiveness of wales, majestic creatures. “A quick glimpse of a tail, cascading with water; the fluke almost taking the shape of a bird in flight, the rest of the body lost underneath the still surface of the water, hidden and secret,” said Slipp. “The watercolor medium is used to spectacular effect, evoking the aqueous world of the whale and its ecosystem.”

“Interpretations of the novel Moby DIck are myriad, perhaps infinite,” added Slipp. “It is a rich and rewarding read that speaks to the past and present; an all-encompassing epic, that grapples with responsibility, order, capitalism and greed, environmental devastation, masculinity, sexuality, obsession, religion and faith, race and imperialism, human nature, passion, animal sentience, and the natural order, among many, many other subjects.”

As an accomplished art historian and Bristol native, Slipp's expertise lies in American art and the global circulation of knowledge. She holds a doctorate from Boston University and a master’s from the University of Chicago. Her impressive resume includes roles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, MFA Boston, Roger Williams University, Terra Foundation for American Art, Harvard Art Museums, and a tenured Associate Professor of Art History at Auburn University at Montgomery, AL. Her curator credits at the Whaling Museum include notable exhibitions such as Turn the Tide: Courtney Mattison (2021) and Re/Framing the View: Nineteenth-Century American Landscapes (2022).

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